Despite a list of tight games round 13 of the AFL produced exactly as you'd expect as far as winners and losers are concerned, with one major exception.
A long weekend and Thursday night footy meant six games over five days and left fans soaking up all they could get.
Given this season's host of emerging sides, games you'd have be right to give a miss in previous years suddenly commanded eyeballs.
It proved a decent weekend of football, wrapping up with a Queens Birthday classic that's made a bottle-neck out of the top eight.
Among the games Indigenous stars one Brisbane battler lifted for his side at home, a pair of Roo's continued standing above the rest and one much-questioned Port midfielder turned it on in a losing side.
- Thursday June 9
Richmond 77 - 65 Port Adelaide - MCG, Melbourne
A genuine eight-shaper kicked things off for the first of three blockbusters at the home of football.
Both sides had looked better than their ladder position heading into the contest, with Port heading towards an unlikely September campaign after a hapless start to the year.
Steven Motlop was quiet for the Power while teammates Jeremy Finlayson and Sam Powell-Pepper added a goal apiece throughout.
Thursday night ball magnet Karl Amon at Port Adelaide training.
image: Port Adelaide Football Club Facebook
Lachie Jones clawed some form back with 17 touches and Karl Amon returned to his best.
Amon was electric with 29 touches, a goal and plenty of defensive effort.
A career-best season looks on the cards as whispers grow on the Noonuccal man looking at a move away from Alberton Oval despite doubts over his bargaining power.
His efforts against the Tigers almost pinched the win, though it just wasn't to be.
Richmond led at every break and survived a late surge from the visitors.
Marlion Pickett and Daniel Rioli had disposals in the high teens, while Shai Bolton missed a huge opportunity to stamp his presence on the contest.
Bolton finished with no goals, five behinds but should evade the scrutiny a team loss would have directed at his shooting.
- Friday June 10
Essendon 54 - 80 Carlton - MCG, Melbourne
Friday's milestone match might have proved the round's marquee contest had the Bombers risen to the challenge.
Essendon's 150th anniversary celebration saw them pinned up against a top four Blues looking to make amends for a shock-loss to Collingwood the week prior and none too keen on back to back stumbles against historical rivals.
Old Indigenous stars Michael Long and Gavin Wanganeen were among the list of club legends invited along to the on-field pre-match ceremonies.
It wasn't enough to stir a victory for their side as Carlton took control early and ran away with it in the last.
Yawuru man Jack Martin had nine touches and a goal in a win for the Blues.
- Saturday June 11
Fremantle 95 - 82 Hawthorn - Optus Stadium, Perth
Freo survived a huge scare from the up-and-down Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon.
The contest swung back and forth as the Hawks flirted with upsetting another premiership contender following their win over now ladder-leaders Brisbane late last month.
The Dockers did enough to ebb some home fan nerves, kicking into gear in the third quarter.
Michael 'Sonny' Walters was given an absolute gift from one metre out in the fifth minute of the term before following with a classy 30-metre dribble after a link-up through the middle to double his contribution to the game shortly afterwards.
His influence in the win was large, racking up a team high 10 score involvements for the match.
Chad Wingard did his part at the other end, slotting two goals of his own as his Hawks did their best against the newly dependable Fremantle.
Brisbane 78 - 57 St Kilda - Gabba, Brisbane
Brisbane's Keidean Coleman in action.
image: Brisbane Lions Facebook
Another top eight clash greeted fans on Saturday evening as the Lions met the Saints in Brisbane.
It was tight through to the final term before the Lions proved their stocks in a round that would eventually see them claim top spot on the ladder.
31-gamer Keidean Coleman had a coming of age performance.
The Dalabon and Jawoyn man's 19 disposals, nine marks and defensive efforts were huge in leaning the contest in Brisbane's direction.
Charlie Cameron did his thing and added one goal early on.
Paddy Ryder, Bradley Hill and Jarrod Lienert played their part for the Saints, while Jade Gresham continued on with his stellar 2022.
The 24 year old had 21 touches and two goals in a losing side.
- Sunday June 12
North Melbourne 53 - 102 GWS - Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
It was same old, same old for the struggling North at the weekend.
Despite finishing ahead in a range of performance metrics, their disorganised defence and lack of depth meant another thumping, this time at the hands of GWS.
Despite the losses, Jy Simpkin and Jed Anderson continue to be the club's flag-bearers, producing solid performance after solid performance since their late starts to the season.
The pair had 31 and 24 touches respectively.
- Monday June 13
Collingwood 82 - 56 Melbourne - MCG, Melbourne
Round 13 culminated with a classic on the Queen's Birthday.
Down by twenty points halfway through the third quarter Collingwood kicked nine of the last 10 to hand Melbourne its third loss on the trot as 26-point victors.
The wheels seem to be falling off for the Dees.
While consecutive losses are never good, it can be the reality check needed for great sides.
It might be a different story for the Premiers however, as off field incidents and poor form plague the middle of their season.
The premiers went all the way in last year as the top pressure side of the competition but have dropped to 17th on that list in 2022.
The fall can be seen best in Kysiah Pickett. His eight disposals on Monday in concert with recent form of having little to no influence on games.
Pickett did manage a goal on Monday after an uncharacteristic error from Pie's defender Darcy Brown.
Round 14 kicks off with another Melbourne blockbuster as Richmond host Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night.
The ladder leading Lions, Collingwood, Kangaroos, Dockers, Hawthorn and Melbourne round out the bye weekends with a week off.
